Blind pockets for mink, rats.....

[trappnman]

Interesting point in another thread about the use of unlured pockets. To me, it's a mainstay on my mink line.

If you put a small pocket or depression where the mink wants to be- you will attract him to that pocket as surely if you used lure/bait or not.

I was taught this way and have always incorporated such sets. I make them everywhere- under overhanging grasses, on deep water banks, on sheer vertical wall, in eddy's, etc.

Not a big pocket- most are the depth of my hand and "mink sized".

While I don't believe the old adage that "mink will investigate very hole" on their route and think its a gross overstatement, I do believe that FRESH holes in places a mink is already THERE... cause a mink to investigate.

Rally made a good point on the other thread- that blind setters and bait setters are still really doing the same thing- putting a trap where an animal was, and will be again. You then have two options- you can put the trap where a mink will most naturally be, and/or you can use lure and/or bait to attract the animal. But in either case- that mink has to be in close proximity to the set, to be caught.

Am I the only one that makes use of such sets?

[DaveLyons]

Steve,

I made use of some unlured or bait pockets this year. Seemed to work okay. Although I go with the "NORM" blind set. I think this set does have it place.

Dave

[JWarren]

I like to find a nice vertical bank next to some deep water and put about 4 or five in a row just far enough apart so one can't spring the next trap, and come back and find 4 or five rats in a row. I use a shovel and make them big and deep. I catch a huge majority of my rats in these. It is amazing how nothing but a hole will suck the rats in like a magnet. Actually, the advantage of these is to keep the coons away while the rats and mink fill up the traps.

[Bob Jameson]

I have double pocket set for mink this way for some time. I will put in a lured/baited pocket and not too far away I punch in another unlured pocket with grass plugged back in the hole a foot or so. This procedure is followed in all of my mink areas.

I have been forced to set this way to reduce the coon catches at my prime mink waterline pocket sets.My theory is to keep the coon occupied by the baited set and to reduce the interest of the coon in a positioned discreet pocket punch in set. It works quite well.

I do primarily dry trail sets for mink any more with very few water sets now adays. Our water fluctuates so much and I have been put out of comission too many times to put a high number of water sets in any longer.

As stated a punched in pocket in the position that cannot be avoided if that approach is taken by a mink are high percentage investigated sets. I set a trap on the outside edge of the hole in the non baited sets. Lured/baited sets the trap goes just inside the mouth of the hole opening.

[NittanyLion]

I make by far more "blind" pockets than baited or lured.

[oldmink]

I have never used many unlured or unbaited pockets for mink. So infrequently have I made such sets as I can give you no success or failure data on them.

However one year I was asked to trap some muskrats out of a farm pond. What I found was they mostly had underwater holes and all my bodygrippers employed else where. I dug pockets along the shallow sections, left them unlured and caught rats. Those sets were effective. However I would not have made them had I had a supply of bodygrippers at hand.

[dj88ryr]

As a student of " The Lion " I use MOSTLY unlured, unbaited pockets, they are my mainstay.

IF the temps hold in the low 20s or even teens for a few days, I will make use of rat carcasses in the pockets, but by then, most coon are denned up, and the mink come readily to these sets.

[rk660]

I used to trap a large marsh every spring for rats. A pocket dug into side of hut with trap in front was the mainstay of my sets. The first year I used lure a lot at first and by second year I was using no lure and didnt seem to make a "rat's ass" worth of difference. What did make a difference was setting the sunny facing side of hut. Once I figured it out, 3 days and move. 70% first check 40% second and 20-25% 3rd check. I suppose if staying longer a little lure would get a few more rats. On rivers with a lot less rats, I like a little green grass in rat pockets, or a clam shell if handy helps to some degree, in spring when they are hungry and not much to eat yet.

Wish there was still rats on those waterfowl production marshes. I slogged thru that 2 sq mile marsh with hip boots and a floating sled my first year, for just under a 1000 rats in 5 weeks. Never a dry day. Don Bolte and another guy showed up with canoes and plenty of traps and did 2500 in 2 1/2 weeks, and I guess 2 different guys took over a 1000 ea thru the ice that year. So what was once over 5000 rats taken I dont think there are even a 100 to be had any more from that marsh. Used to be 1/2 doz other marshes in that county too, and all have been pretty much dry for last 15 years.

[trappnman]

Bob- I operate under same theory, but slightly different.

What I do, on streams with coon, is to bracket my mink sets with coon baited/lured pockets. I'll make 2-4 pockets in areas that coon are entering, leaving the creeks- next to sandbars, shelves, shallow areas- and then put my mink sets inbetween them- the theory being the coon would encounter the coon sets before he hits the mink sets.